Weatherproof cabinet



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WEATHEBPROOF CABINET Filed Feb. 14, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 C494; /1 ST/GONG EAAPHM Mzxnz.

INVENTORS.

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 24, 1942.

c, w. STRONG ET AL WEATHERPROOF CABINET s Sheets-Sheet s v Filed Feb. 14, 1940 Hum Patented Feb. 24, 1942 WEATHERPROOF C BINET Carll W. Strong and Ralph M. Walker, Atlanta, Ga.; Mabel B. Walker and Trust Company of Georgia, executors of said Ralph M. Walker, deceased, assignors to Walker Electrical Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application February 14, 1940, Serial No. 318,914

7 Claims.

,This invention relates to improvements in Weatherproof cabinets, and whereas it is capable of many uses, the same has been primarily designed for the housing of electrical apparatus such as electric meters, circuit breakers and the like, and which may be installed exteriorly of a subscribers home, factory, apartment house, thus exposing the installation to the elements.

It is one of the important features of this invention to provide a weatherproof cabinet from which rainwater is excluded without the use.

of sealing gaskets which to be effective must be used between machined surfaces, or other sealing elements which rapidly deteriorate and require frequent replacement to maintain the cabinet weatherproof.

Another features of the invention resides in a metal weatherproof cabinet which may have a multiplicity of separate compartments which open through the front of the cabinet, and end compartments being normally closed by locked vide a novel means for the removability, or fastening of the cover in closed position over the open front of the intermediate compartment of the cabinet, whereby access to the fastenin means may only be had through the end compartments which are normally closed by locked doors. By an arrangement such as stated above,

I the cover is protected against unauthorized removal, for access to the cover fastening means may only be had, by an authorized person having the proper key to unlock the doors of the end compartments.

Other features of the invention reside in a weatherproof cabinet which is simple and rugged of construction, neat and attractive in appearance, and within which electrical apparatus may be housed in an orderly manner so as to be conveniently accessible to an authorized p n When the doors are unlocked and swung to an open position. v

Other features of the invention will become apparent as thefollowing specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is 'a perspective view of the weatherproof cabinet with the doors in closed locked position. Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, with parts broken away and illustrating the center door and one of the end doors in partially open position in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet with the panel separated from the cabinet body and the doors in open position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional View on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a front elevational view of the cover per se.

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral [0 designates our improved weatherproof cabinet in its entirety, and whereas it is shown in the drawings for the specific purpose of housing electric meters, circuit breakers, and other apparatus for supplying electric service, we do not wish to be limited to such use, for the same is capable of being designed for many other uses where a cabinet or box is installed out-ofdoors and it is desirous of preventing rain water 'from entering the cabinet through door and cover joints.

vThe weatherproof cabinet Ill includes a rectangular shaped body or casing H which is open at its front and comprises a rear wall l2, side or end walls Ill-I3, a bottom wall I4, and a top wall [5. Extending forwardly and downwardly from the top wall [5 is an eave IS, the same extending across the entire open front of the body and rearwardly partway along the side walls I3- -I 3. The

eave l6 serves to shed rain water away from the open front and front corners of the body I l. The body II is constructed of sheet metal of one or more pieces, and in the drawings we have illustrated the top wall l5 and eave l6 as constructed of one piece of metal and the sides, bottom, and rear walls as constructed of 'a separate piece, of metal. These various walls may be formed, by a drawing operation to eliminate leaky joints or they may be bent and the joints welded. When twopieces of material are connected, such as the top wall and side and rear walls, the same may be secured by welding or other means, and in the drawings, the top wall It is provided with depending side flanges ll-ll which fit against and are fastened to the side walls l3l3, and a rear flange I 8 which fits against and is fastened to the rear wall 12. The cave I6 is also formed integral with the top wall l so that there are no joints between the roof of the cabinet and the upstanding walls thereof which might otherwise become leaky and allow rain water to seep into the interior of the body ll through the top thereof.

Mounted at the open front of the body H is. a pair of spaced vertical channel rails. i 3 J-9 of U-shape in cross section, the same dividing the open front of the body into a pair of end door openings -40, and an intermediate opening 2|. Whereas a pair of channel rails i9 have been shown to form a three compartment cabinet, more or less rails may be employed when more or-less compartments are to be formed in the cabinet. The channel rails are fixedly mounted withtheir open sides facing forwardly and having their lower open ends passing through slots in the bottom wall I4. The-rails l9.l 9 constitute inner door jambs along. one side of the door openings 2 l}20, the outer, jamb of each door opening being defined by an inwardly extending flange 22. formedintegral with each side wall 53.

The top of each door opening V metal doors 3333.

the door 33..

the meter sockets and circuit breakers is merely illustrative, for as previously mentioned, the interior of the cabinet I0 may contain other apparatus which must be readily accessible and protected against the elements. The front edges of the partition walls 29-29 are provided with right angle flanges 32 and are welded to the back flatwalls of the rails l9! 9.

The end compartments A-A are closed by Each door 33 is provided with an inner side flange 34, an outer side flange 35 and a bottom flange 36. The flanges 34, 35, and 35 extend inwardly and bound three sides of The inner sides of the doors 33 are hinged to the side walls l3l3 as at 3'! and swung inwardly toward the door opening 21-2! and outwardly away therefrom. Each door 33 is of such a length that, when it is in closed posi- 20. consists of a depending flange 2-3 depending from the top wall M and which is. partially lapped by a plate 24 which extends entirely across the front of the body and secured to the outside of the flange 23. by rivets, spot welding or the like. The plate 24 terminates short of the lower edge of the flange 23.. A flange 25 similar to the flanges 23; constitutes the top of the intermediate opening 2'! and towhich the plate 24 is also connected. The bottom. of each door opening 20 is defined by an upstanding flange 27 and the bottom of the intermediate opening is defined by an upstanding flange 23 the flanges 21 and 23 being. integral with the; bottom. wall M. Thus it will be. understood that each door openmg 241 is bounded by a vertical channel. rail 19. constituting an outer door jamb, a vertical flange 22. constituting an inner door jamb, and by the top and bottom flanges. 23. and 21.. The intermediate opening Z-l is bounded. by the channel rails, l.9.|.9, top. flange Zliand bottom. flange 23. In the; drawings, we have illustrated the cabi.-. net. Ill as being designed to accommodate. aplurality of, socket type electric meters and their associated circuit breakers. cabinet body is provided with vertical transversely extending. partition. walls 29.-29 which extend rearwardly from. the vertical rails [Si-4 9. to a. point short of the rear wall I2 and are joined by longitudinal walls Zill.3llwhichv meet the side walls I3--I3. These partition wallsextend-v the full height, of the cabinet body and divide. the same into'a pair ofend compartments. A-A which are. accessible through the door openings 20.20. A longitudinal slottedv partition 3i connects with the partition walls 29 29 forming. an intermediate compartment B which is accessible through the opening 2|. Electric meter sockets C. are. mounted. in. the partition walls 30-39, whereas the master circuit breaker D or master switch, and the individual meter circuit break? ersE, or-pull out switches or other circuit protective devices are. shown as; mounted. behindthe partition. wall 3| with. their actuating handles extending, through the wall 3i. The showingof 1 The interior of the tion, the bottom flange 36 snugly fits beneath the bottom wall l4, and the top of the door laps the depending flange. 23, and the. door is. of a. width that. the. inner side flange 34 fits fiat. against. the side wall' I3 and the. outer side flange 3.5 is. disposed within the channel rail l9 adjacent the outer side wallthereof as .best illustrated in Figure. 2 of the drawings. The thickness of the flange 3.5 is slightly. less. than one. half the width of the. channel rail [9 fora reason presently to be explained. Each. door. 33is provided with a latch mechanism which in this instance, consists of a turnable knob, 3.8 disposed. exteriorly of the. door to. which a disk. 33 is connected and to which disk the inner ends' of a pair of latch bolts 40-40 are pivotally and eccentrically connected 7 whereby turning of the knob will cause the latch bolts to simultaneously move up and down. The. latch bolts slide through guides 4.! and. have the outer endsbent outwardly tov freely engage behind the flanges 2.0 and 23. when the door is, closed and the latch bolts- 40- 30v are in extended position. The lock mechanism. maybe secured in a locked position by a key actuated lock 42 which has. a lock boltll3v which enters. a keeper notch M. in the lower latch bolt when. the latch bolts are in extended latchingposition.

Having explainedthe closure means for the. end, compartments A-A,, we shall now describe the closure means for. the intermediate compartment B which consistsof a removable metal cover 45;. The cover 65, is. provid'ed'with inwardly extending. side flanges 4646, and an inwardly extending bottomflange 41'... The cover is. ofa length to enable, the flange 4.1. to fit beneath the bottom wall M of the-cabinetbody and to. permit the. top of the. cover. to lap the. flange 25' andfitbeneath the. bottom. edge. of. the. flange 24 as shown in Figure. 4. The. cover is, of a width to enable the. side. flanges. $6745.. to respectively fit intothe, respective. channel rails tilill with the door flanges. 35' 35 when the. doors 3 333i are in closed position. The. rear side" of the cover 45- adjacent the top thereof is provided with a pair of spaced clips 48"which en.- gage behindthe fiange- 25- when the cover' is 1 slipped inwardly and upwardly over the entranceopening Zl. A-l'somounted on the rear 'sideof the; cover. and: disposed: adjacent the bottom thereofare. spaced" horizontally alined anglemembers. Mi -4d,: the base sides 5.0: thereof-being spot. welded or. otherwise secured. to the cover while the outwardly extending portionsJconstitute' ears: fil -51 which. are. respectively disposed parallel to the flanges 46-46. The ears 5|. extends beyond: theplane of the free Ledges oft-he 'flanges 46 so as; to lap-the. partition walls 2S-2-9-. The;

outerportions' of each ear is provided with a screw threaded opening 52, and the threaded openings 52 respectively register with openings 53 in thepartition walls 29. A screw 54 is first passed through each opening 53 and threads into the adjacent threaded opening 52. The screws are inserted intoposition through the compartments AA and their heads are accessible only claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

through the compartments AA. The screws 54 and ears 5Iserve as a-fastening means for the cover which cannot be tampered with, for acpartments AA which are normally closed by I the locked doors 33. Although a screw 54 has been shown and described, other removable fastening elements may be used in lieu thereof. The rear side of the cover is provided with a centrally located stopflange 52 which is disposed parallel to the bottom flange 41 and which rests upon'the flange 28 when the cover is in position over the opening 2|.

Access to theintermediate compartment B is impossible without disturbing the cover fastening means, and for reaching the compartment B, there is provided a rectangular shaped door opening" 55 in the cover 45. A gutter 56 of trough shape in cross section extends about the four sides of the opening 55to protect the same from rain water. The portion of the gutter 56 which is disposed at the top of the opening 55 is inclined from its middle outwardly toward the side vertical portions of the trough for draining water therefrom. Hinged at 51 to the cover of the door opening 55 is a door 58 having inwardly extending flanges 59 around the four sides thereof. The door 58 is of a size to enable the flanges 59 to abut against thecover and enclose the gutter 56. A key actuated lock 60 is provided on the door which includes a bolt 6| adapted to engage a keeper 62 fixed to the cover. If desired,

1. A weatherproof cabinet comprising a body open at its front, a pair of spaced vertical channel members at the open front of said body having their open sides facing forwardly, aremovable cover member closingthe space between said channel members and having inwardly extending side flanges disposed in said channel mem-' bers and only partially filling the same, fastening means securing said cover member in position between the channel members, a door hinged to each end of said body having a vertical inwardly extending flange, the inwardly extending flanges of the doors respectively being disposed in said channel members beside the flanges on said cover when the doors are in closed position; the adjacent flanges combined substantially filling the channel members, whereby said channel to the intermediate compartment is prevented and the opening 56 is shielded from rain water seeping therein by reason of the gutter 55 and flanges 59. Any water which may enter the joints between the door 58 and the cover is shed by the gutter 56.

- walls, flanges, etc. are by welding or by drawing so as to render them weatherproof to withstand the elements to which an outdoor cabinet or box of this kind is subjected.

While we have shown and described what we consider to be the preferred embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that variations in design may be resorted to if desired without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we members and flanges weatherproof the vertical J'ointsbetween the doors and the vertical sides of the cover. V p; r

2. A weatherproof cabinet comprising a rectangular shaped body open at its front, a pair of spaced vertical channel members at the open front thereof having theiropen sides facing forwardly and which, coact with the top, bottom, and end walls of said body to define three separate side by side openings, a removable cover closing the center opening having vertical in wardly extending side flanges respectively disposed in said channel members closely adjacent the inner side walls thereof and inspaced relation with the outer side walls of the channel members, fastening means .securing said cover in position over the central opening and accessible only through the end openings, a pair of doors for closing the, end openings, each door being hinged to an endwall of said body at the front thereof and being provided with a vertical inwardly extending flange along the free vertical side thereof, the vertical inwardly extending flanges on the doors fitting into the channel members between the flanges of the cover and the outer side walls of the channel members and being disposed in close relation to said outer side walls, and lock means for securing the doors in closed position. i

3. A weatherproof cabinet comprising a hollow metal body open at itsfront having partition walls therein dividing the interior thereof into end compartments and an intermediate compartment which open through the open front of said body, a pair of spaced vertical channel rails at the open front of said body having their open sides facing forwardly and respectively disposed between the entrance. openings to the intermediate compartment and the end compartments and extending above and below theplan'e of the top and bottom of the entrance openings, a removable cover for closing the entrance opening to the intermediate compartment, vertical inwardly extending side flanges on said cover which are respectively disposed in the channel rails adjacent the inner side walls thereof, fastening means for securing the cover in position over the entrance opening to the intermediate compartment, a pair of doors respectively hinged to the outer sides of said body for closing the entrance openings to the end compartments, and a vertical inwardly extending flanges provided on said doors for fitting into said channel rails between the outer side walls of said channel rails and the adjacent flanges of said cover.

4. A weatherproof cabinet as set forth in claim 3', including an eave overhanging the open front of the body at the top thereof for shielding the open top ends of the channel rails and the joints between the body and the tops of the doors and cover from rain water.

5. A weatherproof cabinet comprising a rectangular shaped sheet metal body open at its front, a pair of spaced vertical partition, Walls within said body extending rearwardly from the open front thereof and dividing the body into end compartments and an intermediate compartment', vertical channel rails mounted at the open front of" said body in substantial alinement with saidpartition walls and, constituting inner door jambs, a metal cover fitting over the open front of theintermediate compartment and having inwardly extending side flanges seated in said channel rails, ears extending inwardly from the inner side of said cover in spaced relation to said flanges and disposed parallel to the partition walls, said ears having threaded openings therein, fastening screws passing through openings in the partition walls from the end compartment sides thereof and threadedly connected to the threaded openings for securing the cover in position, doors hinged to the end walls of said body for closing the end compartments, said doors having vertical inwardly extending flanges along their free side edges which enter the channel rails when said doors are closed, and lock means on the doors for securing the doors against unauthorized opening thereof to prevent access to the end compartments and tampering with the fastening screws.

6. A cabinet comprising a rectangular box-like body open at its front, a pair of spaced partition walls within said body extending rearwardly from the open front thereof and dividing the interior of the. body into end compartments and an intermediate compartment, door jambs at the front of the partition walls, a removable cover fitting over the open front of the intermediate compartment and having inwardly extending side flanges seated against said door jambs, ears extending inwardly from the inner side of said cover in spaced relation to said flanges and disposed parallel to the partition walls, said ears having threaded openings therein, fastening screws passing through openings in the partition walls from the end compartment sides thereof and threadedly connected to the threaded openings for securing the cover in position, doors hinged to the end walls of said body for closing the end compartments, the outer free side edges of said doors having abutting engagement with said door jambs when the doors are closed, and lock means for securing the doors against unauthorized opening thereof to prevent unauthorized access to the end compartments and prevent tampering with the fastening means.

7. A box for the housing of electrical apparatus comprising a box-like body open at its front, a pair of spaced vertical partition walls within said body extending rearwardly from the open front thereof and dividing the body into end compartments and, an intermediate compartment, a removable cover fitting over the intermediate compartment, ears extending inwardly from the inner side of said cover and disposed parallel to and in close confronting relation to said partition walls, removable fastening means passing through said partition walls and said ears and accessible from within the end compartments for securing the cover in position, hinged doors respectively closing the end compartments, and lock means accessible exteriorly of the doors for securing them in locked closed position over the open fronts of the respective end compartments to prevent unauthorized opening of the doors for entry into the end compartments and to prevent unauthorized tampering with the removable fastening means.

CARLL W. STRONG. RALPH M. WALKER. 

